Improvement in gates



UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.,

STEPHEN SPOOR, OF PHELPS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT I N GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,930, dated November 20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN SPooR, of Phelps, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

i Figure l is a side elevation of my improved gate in its natural closed position; Eig. 2, a similar view with its front end elevated for the passage of swine, &c. 5 Fig. 3, an elevation of the front end; Fig. 4, a view showing the friction-wheel and accompanying parts detached. i

Like letters of reference indicate correspond ing parts in all the figures.

My improvement belongs to that class in which the gate slides half-way back on a friction-wheel, and then swings around.

My invention consists in an improved arrangement of the gate, whereby one end may be elevated sufficiently for the passage of swine or other small animals, and in the employment of a swinging pendent catch in connection with the same for retaining the gate closed.

As represented in the drawings, A is the gate, and B G D the posts. The gate is made up of the ordinary slats and cleats a b. The post B has attached to it a cleat, E, by means of pins d f, &c., so aslto leave space for the entrance of projections h tof the third and last rails, which are provided with notches k k, for catching 'over the pins d f, to hold the gate closed. The posts C D are set in the usual angular position, and have a friction-wheel, Gr, for the free sliding of the gate, whose construction will be presently explained.

Outside the post B, and at such a position as to strike over the projection h or t when resting upon the pin d, is hung a pendent catch, I, by means of a simple staple, m, being arranged so as to have a free play in every direction.

The great advantage of the4 arrangement as above described consists in the capability of the gate of being elevated at the front end, as shown in Fig. 2, to allow swine to pass, and in the simple pendent catch I, for holding over the projections h fi, either in an elevated or depressed position.

To elevate, as in Fig. 2, it is simply necessary to open the gate a little distance to free the projections, and then raise the lower one, z', to the position occupied` by h on pin d. rIhe projection striking `the catch throws it out, and then, when the notchlk strikes over the pin,the catch settles again over the top of the projection, and prevents displacement by the passage or the rooting of gates of this the swine. Farmers have objected to class heretofore, for the reason that they 4have been deprived of the advantages of bars,

that can be let down at any time to give free passage to hogs.

My arrangement of the gate .secures this advantage in the simplest manner, for while the gate stops the passage of larger animals, hogs, sheep, &c., can easily pass under; and since the catch I always settles over the pro-` jections h t' when in place, the gate cannot be displaced on opened by rooting or any ordinary action of the animals.

A pendent catch has before been employed, situated within a mortise of the post, and

having weighted handles on the outside to` operate it; but in such caseit has simply a swinging motion in a longitudinal direction, and not a free universal motion.

It will be seen that my catch is on the outside, and no matter which way it swings, it will settle over and .secure the gate in place. the device above referred to.

The wheel G is so arranged that the gate slides eely back and forth upon it, as usual. In order to prevent freezing, and to obviate` friction as much as possible, I form a turning-joint, consisting of `a stationary bearing, n, having a flange, o, and a pin, p, that rests in the block H, and over `this bearing iits a corresponding turning-socket, q, whose arms STEPHEN spoon,

Witnesses E. F. Oseoon, Z. L. DAVIS.

It is much cheaper and simpler than 

